The Play Is The Thing
by Kismet R.T. Realtin
Summary: Betty stared in shock at the cast list. "W-what?" "Is it so bad to be in one single play with me as your love interest?" Veronica stares into the sea of blue green eyes. "Truly is it that horrible Betty?" "This can't be true." Betty husked to herself as she tries to control her racing beating heart as she stares into Veronica's eyes. AU ... falling in love through a play


**The Yearly 365 Challenge**

 **Prompt Number Eighteen: Prompt#59 (Scenario) – You're my theatre department rival for this lead but we got cast as love interests instead**

 **Author's Note: I have decided to use this Scenario as a set up for a AU …. where Veronica and Betty had not met each other until college. Veronica of course falls heads over heels in love with Betty upon first sight. But Betty is ever much in denial of her own feelings. So in denial that she refuses to be friendly with Veronica. Betty feels more comfortable keeping Veronica at a safe distance … so she sets up the whole Veronica is her rival ….. but as we all know Betty & Veronica are destined to be best friends. They are destined to be soulmates.**

 **This AU is a fun way of seeing how they go about to finally having their happily ever after. Expect a lot of comedy as they (i.e. Betty) finally accept that they are meant to be, and ride off in the sunset.**

"Rick; honey I'm telling you that I know what I'm doing." Veronica stared into the dull brown eyes of 'Rick' as she spoke her lines. Her face harden as her anger rose. "You don't have to look over my shoulder all the fucking time."

'Rick' folded his arms across his chest. "Don't I now?" He smirked. He tilted his head to the right. "Line?"

Veronica held in her annoyed sigh as she waited yet again for the line to be called out.

"I have seen enough." The director called out in a bored tone. "Thank you Ms. Lodge. You may go now. Mr. Vale stay where you are."

"But it's lunch time." The teen's high pitched voice screeched.

"There is one more actress that I want to see. Then you can go eat." The director spoke up roughly.

"Hell to this." Mr. Vale rolled his eyes. "I'm outta of here." He walked passed Veronica towards the exist. "Oh and if you haven't figured out … I quite." He waved backwards.

The director heaved a huge sigh. "Ms. Lodge if you don't mind playing 'Rick' for Ms. Cooper?"

Veronica hid the annoyance as she turned and smiled into the roll of seats. "Yes sir." She moved over to where 'Rick' needed to stand for the try outs. She masked the fire in her eyes as she watched the blonde walk up the stairs. She folded her arms calmly across her chest as she watched her rival for the lead female role make her way over to her. Her breath hitched in her throat at the sight of her goddess that was making her way to her.

Annoyed blue green eyes stared into hers as the blonde blew air up towards her bangs.

"Whenever you are ready ladies." The director called out.

Veronica quickly took up 'Rick''s role "I don't know what the big deal is Bertha. So I have some doubt about you knowing how to do this one thing."

"I have told you Rick over, and over again that I am fully able to fix this. That although I am a woman I do know how to fix things around the house." Betty's patient but annoyed voice spoke her lines.

Rick smirked.

"You don't have to be a he-man Richard." Bertha spat out as she shook her head at Rick.

Rick stepped forward and placed his hands on Bertha's shoulders. "Don't I now. I always thought that was the main reason why you are with me baby." He lowered his voice as he lowered his head down to be a mere inch from Bertha's lips.

"Rick." Bertha breathed out.

Rick remained where he stood just staring into Bertha's eyes.

"Cut. Thank you ladies." The voice of the director yelled out.

Veronica stepped back as she blinked her eyes. She watched as Betty Cooper closed herself off once more. Betty turned and walked towards the stairs that led down from the stage before Veroncia realized her heart was rapidly beating in her chest.

"I'll have the cast list tomorrow." The director was speaking.

It was all white noise in Veronica Lodge's ears as she watched dumbstruck as Betty Cooper walked up the isle of the theater; and left through the doors. _Shit! I almost kissed her! Shit! Shit! Shit! You almost kissed her Veronica Lodge! Fuck! You need to be careful girl. You can't let on that you are in love with her! Shit! Shit! Fuck! Fuck!_ Veronica realized that she was alone on the stage. She had to get out of there. She had to calm her mind down. She had to get herself back firmly together. She walked calmly towards the stairs and walked down them; she picked up her stuff from her isle seat and left the theater. She walked towards the east side exist.

Veronica missed the fact there was a dumbstruck blonde leaning against the wall leading towards the south side.

…..

"I don't know what to do Kev." Betty moaned as she fell across her best friend's bed. Her hands covered the back of her head as she moaned into the bed spread.

Kevin turned aound in his chair and laughed. "Another moment with your Veronica Lodge?" He smirked.

Betty's head turned to the left as she eyed him. "We almost kissed."

Kevin's eyes boggled out of his eyes. "W-w-what! H-h-how?" He tumbled out of his chair as he fell onto his knees at the foot of his bed; he leaned closer to his best friend. "You have been seriously holding out on me Elizabeth Cooper. Since when did you and Veronica Lodge get close enough to even get to the kissing stage?"

"We aren't at the kissing stage." Betty rolled her eyes. "Vale totally walked out of the auditions; just as it was my turn." She sighed as she sat up to sit cross legged. "The director told Veronica … whom had just had her own audition to play 'Rick' so that I could audition for Bertha." Her right hand rose and undid her tight pony tail. Her blonde hair falling around her shoulders. Her hands rose to run through her hair as she relived those precious moments of being so close to Veronica Lodge. "We were told to audition where Rick and Bertha are having a heated discussion over how Bertha can fix household items just as well as men. That Rick and Bertha end up sharing a passitant kiss."

Kevin nodded silently. He remembered that part in the play. After all he helped Betty learn Bertha's lines for the audition.

"I can not believe that happened." Betty's hands came to cover her face as she screamed into them. "Shit! Shit! Shit!" She moaned.

Kevin smirked. Betty only cursed when she was truly aroused.

Betty lowered her hands and glared into Kevin's smirking hazel eyes. "Don't you understand how terrible this is Kev." She sighed deeply. "I can't be gay." She whimpered folding her arms tightly around her chest.

Kevin quickly got on the bed next to her; and pulled her into him. "Oh honey." He breathed out as all the laughter left him. He just held his broken fragil friend against him as she fell apart.

…..

Betty looked over at Kevin as she finished putting her hair in a high tight pony tail. "Thank you for letting me crash here last night."

"Not a problem." Kevin sighed. His soft conern eyes met hers. "You do know that it's okay for you to be gay right Betts?" He sighed.

"No it's not." Betty sighed deeply. She leaned against the wall as she looked into his eyes. "You know that it's not okay for me. That it's never going to be okay for me to be gay." She shook her head. "I don't care what the world would think of me. I know my dad, Pol and Chic will always support and love me. I know Archie and Juggie will not turn away from me. But ..."

"Mama Alice." Kevin sighed as he stood to his feet. "You are an adult now Betty. Your mother can't control your life any longer." He placed his arms on her shoulders as he ducked to meet her down troded eyes. "It's okay to be true to yourself Betty."

Betty closed herself off. "I'm sorry Kevin. But I can't be late to my Lit class." She gently pushed him away from her. She walked to his door. Turning her head to look at him. "Meet you later." She opened the door and left.

Kevin sighed as he looked at the door that was closing. "Yeah see you later." He shook his head as he thought of a life long of hiding that Betty was in for …. all due to whom her mother was.

…..

Veronica breath hitched in her chest as she looked at the top two names on the casting list.

"W-what?" She heard choaked out from the right of her. She didn't even need to turn her eyes to known whom had spoken. "This can't be right."

Veronica managed to turn as she felt the slight breeze as Betty quickly moved away from her. She sighed as she caught the theater door from shutting in her face as the taller blonde quickly walked down the theater isle. She stepped in and followed behind the blond towards the stage; where the director was standing center stage.

"Sir. How can we have two female leads when this is a romantic play about a young husband whom has to come to terms that his young wife can do 'man's work around the house?" Betty demanded in a hot voice. She folded her arms across her chest as she slightly glared into the director's bemused eyes.

"Change of plans girls." The director smiled. "I have decided that play was so out of date. I mean there are simply millions and millions of plays about that out of the date and typical roles of life." He waved his hand to the right. "With you two girls as my leads …. I now know that the play the world is ready for is …."

"No." Betty simply stated.

The director blinked. "What?"

"No offense sir. But I didn't sign up to audition for a role of a play … then have that play _not_ be the one to be performed. It's not professional."

Veronica snorted. "Get off your high horse Cooper." She smirked as Betty turned her annoyed face towards her. "All because you are too afraid to take a little risk … a risk that isn't really a risk now a days."

"I'm not afraid to take a risk!" Betty stated as she glared back into Veronica's mocking eyes.

"You are the one whom is trying to get out of performing a new play." Veronica laughed.

"I'm just prepared to do the all ready assigned play." Betty pointed out. "Even if I'm not Bertha. I know the play …. "

The director clapped his hands once. Both girls turn to look at him wide eyed.

"Sorry sir." Veronica said with a slight smile.

Betty blushed. "I didn't mean to be disrespectful to you sir. It's your stage. It's your play."

The director smiled. "Thank you girls." He nodded. "You two are the two romantic leads. If you two want them. If you decide not to go with the new play. Then you are free to leave."

"I'm staying." Veronica spoke up.

Betty worried her lower lip with her teeth. "I'm staying." She finally nodded surely to herself.

"Good." The director clapped gleefully. "I'll have the new scripts at the first staging. Seeing how I'm replacing plays … the first staging will be in two weeks times." He put his hands on each of the girls shoulders; "Trust me girls this new play will be even better than the previous one." He squeezed gently as he walked between the two girls; and made his way to the back stage.

Veronica and Betty meet eyes. "Looks like you can't avoide me anymore Cooper." A sly smirk played on Veronica's lips.

Dread clouded Betty's eyes for a moment; before her eyes turned impassive. "Only for the play Lodge." She moved towards the stairs. Her hands clenced at her sides. "Only for the play." She whispered to herself as she walked down the stairs.

Veronica stared silently after the blonde as Betty made her way up the isle towards the doors.


End file.
